All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

"If you don't kill him, I kill you."

Opening Statement

Believe the hype.

Facts of the Case

Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), a young French-Arab, is sentenced to six
years in prison for assaulting a police officer. Barely able to read or write,
and ostracized for being of mixed race, Mailk finds himself totally alone.

Mob boss Cesar Luciani (Niels Arestrup) rules the prison with his Corsican
gang. When an inmate of North African origin, who is due to testify against one
of Cesar's associates, is transferred to the prison, Cesar strong-arms Malik
into murdering the man, using Malik's shared heritage with the soon to be victim
to allow him to get close.

Frightened, Malik reaches out for help from the prison authorities, but
quickly learns how far reaching Cesar's influence goes within the walls of the
prison, with not just prison guards, but also the warden on Cesar's payroll.
Resigned to his fate, Malik completes the job, and finds himself working for
Cesar. Initially, Cesar has Malik perform menial tasks for him; but when Cesar
is able to arrange a day's leave from prison for Malik, he is able task him with
far more important work. And so it goes that, on each of Malik's leave days,
Cesar hands him a mission to complete, be it to liaise with associates, or
perform a hit.

But through his friendship with a former prisoner, Ryad, Malik is able to
start his own drug trafficking business on the outside. On each day's leave he
has, Malik is able to further himself a little more, often using Cesar's own
business contacts, until he finds himself in a position to finally overturn his
old boss.

The Evidence

Everything you've heard is true: A Prophet is the real deal, and all
the awards and excellent word of mouth it has picked up since debuting at the
2009 Cannes Film Festival is justified.

Though the story told throughout A Prophet is a well-worn one, the
character of Malik is so fascinating that it feels fresh and, with the added
benefit of the racial element, totally relevant. When we first meet Malik he is
an ignorant youth; a loner with no concept of the ways of the world, which
allows the tougher, more world-weary Cesar to manipulate him with minimal
effort. And yet, unbeknownst to Cesar, that first act of violence he coerces
Malik into opens the younger mans eyes. Having entered the prison an illiterate,
Malik sets about taking classes to learn to read, and, as his thirst for
education grows, so too does his yearning for betterment, of both his
understanding of the world and his standing in it.

Through his dealings with Cesar, Malik is seen as a traitor by his fellow
inmates of Arab descent, while he is always on the outskirts of Cesar's gang due
to his race. However Malik, being smarter than either side would credit him, is
happy to get into bed with whoever can help him further his own burgeoning
empire. By listening and observing from the shadows, Malik gains an
understanding of how life behind bars works, and is quick to apply this to the
outside world during his day leave. All this is done under Cesar's nose with a
cunning it is suggested the older man may once have used to get his foot on the
ladder, which makes the final moment shared between Malik and Cesar so much more
powerful.

For all of Malik's shrewdness, and infrequent but brutal acts of violence,
it would easy to confuse Malik as being nothing more than a thug, albeit one
with the guile and tenacity to rise to the top of the crime ladder. But to do so
would be to ignore Malik's obvious vulnerabilities, and the gentleness shown
predominantly during scenes shared with Ryad (Adel Bencherif) and his family.
Indeed, it's very easy to see Malik as the victim of the piece, rather than the
cold-blooded killer a lesser actor and director may have shaped. Although
Malik's acts of murder are in no way acceptable, he never harms innocents, and,
again without excusing the beatings he dishes out, is clearly a product of his
society. It's this moral complexity that sees A Prophet really get under
the skin, and asks viewers whether Malik, or the prison system he is placed in,
are responsible for the stripping of his humanity. Just as pressingly, the
film's final shot hints at a rebirth of Malik's compassion, albeit one that is
shadowed by his continued standing in he criminal underworld.

Writer/Director Jacques Audiard takes a bold decision by showing Malik
frequently converse with the ghost of his first victim, Reyeb. Under a less
assured directorial hand this may have come across as being too arty, and
lacking in substance. Thankfully Audiard sidesteps this potential pitfall by
using these scenes to let us better understand Malik's feelings on the events he
has been through, which is especially important considering that Reyeb had been
the first person to show any kindness toward Malik. Audiard also shows himself
equally adept when it comes to shooting action sequences. Malik's final job is a
blood soaked gunfight in the cramped confines of a car. From the slow, tension
fueled build up, to the sudden explosiveness of the shootout itself, the entire
sequence is a masterclass in action cinema.

Working with co-writer Thomas Bidegain, Audiard offers up a mirror on the
world as it is today. All life can be found within the walls of the prison that
incarcerates Malik and Cesar. Particularly poignant, considering world events
over the past decade, is how the film handles multiculturalism. As the years
pass by, Cesar notes (often with hardly masked disgust) the increasing numbers
of Muslim inmates; as their numbers swell, so too do racial tensions. Audiard
offers no answer to the problem he presents, nor does he take sides. But his
handling of the subject is such that it lingers with the viewer long after the
final credits roll. This is grown up filmmaking, and not something that can be
easily dismissed.

Kudos must also go out to the cast. Everyone, from the leads to the support
players, is excellent. Tahar Rahim, as Malik, offers a startling performance.
Rahim, as already mentioned, really does instill a sense of vulnerability into
the role, whilst ensuring the character's growth feels natural. Adel Bencherif,
as Malik's closet ally, Ryad, cuts a tragic figure; while Niels Arestrup, as
Cesar, gives a riveting reading of the character. Arestrup infuses Cesar with a
composure that, when pushed, gives way to a frightening rage. His final scene,
which sees Cesar at his lowest ebb, is particularly memorable, as both he and
Malik see the total reversal of their roles completed.

Capturing perfectly the cold sterile visuals of A Prophet, the 1.85:1
anamorphic transfer is excellent. Sharp, and retaining excellent levels of
detail, the DVD release of A Prophet offers a flawless presentation of
the film. The soundtrack is similarly impressive. Though the film is low on
sonic theatrics, individual sounds, particularly during the prison scenes, are
excellent and contrast sharply with the more serene sounds captured during
Malik's day release.

The commentary track brings together the director with his co-writer Thomas
Bidegain and lead actor Tahar Rahim. Though very much a matter of fact
experience, with no room for backslapping or jokes, the track offers an
excellent insight into the dedication that went into making the film. Deleted
scenes and rehearsal footage round out the extras, and contribute to a lean, but
high quality set.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

A Prophet pulls no punches, and contains scenes of extreme violence.
Malik's first kill (the murder of Reyeb) is a clumsy, messy affair, and even
though I'm somewhat desensitized to screen violence, I found myself struck by
its brutality. This is not really a negative I'll admit, but more of a warning
to potential viewers not prepared for some of the more extreme elements of A
Prophet. As stated earlier in the review, this is grown up filmmaking, it
requires concentration and effort from the viewer, and those looking for
non-stop thrills should look elsewhere.

Closing Statement

A Prophet maintains a vice-like grip on the viewer throughout, and,
like all the best films, sticks with you for days afterwards; repeat viewings
are a certainty.

Audiard has crafted a modern classic, capable of standing shoulder to
shoulder with the greats of the genre. Whether world cinema is your thing or
not, A Prophet comes with the highest recommendation possible.